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2 April 2023 - Al Seef, Dubai
the view from the terrace of our hotel
Seated in close quarters with 388 of our now closest friends on a 777-300 class plane for our overnight flight to Dubai was not one of our favourite experiences. The only saving grace was the quality of the service on Emirates Airlines. Our meal was delicious and, unlike our more recent Qantas flights, did not arrive in a cardboard box, but on a tray with real cutlery. We thought we were back in 1999.
14 long hours after taking off we arrived at the enormous Dubai
International Airport bleary-eyed at 5am. We were speedily funnelled through immigration and customs and on our way to our accommodation in the old heritage quarter of Dubai, Al Seef.
After a short siesta, we hit the maze of the old souk that makes up the majority of Al Seef. The quaint old souk is a must-see destination in Dubai. Unfortunately, we did not take Ramadan into consideration when booking this trip, so the proliferation of food stalls that we anticipated finding were all closed. Some restaurants opened for lunch, but our choices were limited.
in the souk
Our accommodation, the Hilton Curio Al Seef Heritage Hotel, is a delight to behold. Squirreled away throughout the souk, the rooms resemble something from the 1001 Arabian Nights.
around our hotel
Al Seef after dark
Al Seef at night during Ramadan
As the sun set over the Persian Gulf, Al Seef came to life with more bud lights than there are stars in the sky. We found it all slightly reminiscent of our local shopping mall in the lead up to Christmas.
in a Ramadan wonderland
We no longer had any problems finding a place to dine as their number increased exponentially the darker it got.
Zaatar and cheese pida
Unfortunately, so did the weight of our eyelids; jetlag was taking its toll, and by 9pm it was all we could do to keep our heads from drooping into our meals. We beat, as hasty a retreat as our leaden legs would accommodate, to our comfy beds. And so ended our first day in Dubai.
Ramadan decorations
3 April 2023 - Desert Safari
Falconers in the Desert
On the recommendation of a friend, who had recently returned from Dubai, we booked a Desert Safari. Our guide, Ali, arrived punctually to collect us from our hotel in his chariot, a White Landcruise, and ferried us to the desert dunes 40 minutes outside Dubai. We were deposited, with the other four tourist in Ali's possy, at a tourist trap long enough, for those who wished, to spend a few minutes and many dollars riding quad bikes around a sandy track.
Quad bikers
We chose to take the opportunity to top up our caffeine levels. In return for the equivalent of $6 Aussie dollars, (and this was half the price other racketeers were charging), we received a paper cup of instant cappuccino powder partially dissolved in boiling water; a most disappointing brew.
After an hour had elpsed, we returned to our chariot and joined a...a...(what is the collective noun for a group of White Landcruisers?) A Rodeo of Landcruisers? It certainly felt like a Rodeo, it was one wild ride.
Bone-jarring, hair-raising, dune bashing.
After stopping to deflate his tyres, Ali ramped up the music on his car stereo, to ear- splitting level. I later deduced, this was to drown out our screams, as he proceeded to drive us up, over and across the dunes in a white knuckle ride to equal the best stomach-churning ride available at Luna Park.
On the dunes.
Atop one of the wind-swept dunes we stopped to enjoy the view, crowded as it was with many more white Landcruisers. The dunes were impressive, albeit scattered with all manner of detritus. We tarried long enough for our stomachs to descend from our gullets, to toboggan down a sand dune, a quick photo opportunity, and for sand to invade every possible orafice. Did I mention it was windy?
the Segal in the sand
After descending the dunes in a similar manner, we proceeded to a "Bedouin" camp, one of 50 or more in a two kilometre radius, where, in the dying light of day, we availed ourselves to a brief camel ride. The poor beast was forced to march about 50 metres, bearing the weight of the two of us before his handler took pity on him and returned us to whence we had come. We proceeded to where our entertainment and buffet dinner awaited us.
the Segal torturing a beast of burden.
The entertainment consisted of a whirling Dervish, resplendent in a garment festooned with LED lights and a buffed young fire dancer. The meal that followed did not disappoint; a buffet of dozens of salads and various meats cooked over charcoals. As the sun set over the desert we sat sated and sorry to be farwelling this fascinating land in the morning.
the desert sunset
More images are available here
Next stop; Israel.
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